Spammers Be Gone: New CA Platform Helps Users Disappear From Pesky Text, Call Lists

A new state program gives Californians the tool to more easily block data brokers from selling their personal information and inundating them with spam calls and emails.

The Delete Request and Opt-out Platform — or DROP — lets people submit a single request requiring every registered data broker to remove their information, instead of contacting each company one-by-one.

The platform, created under the 2023 California Delete Act, went live on Jan. 1, but requests submitted through it will not be processed until August 2026.

“It shouldn’t be hard to delete social media accounts, and it shouldn’t be even harder to take back control of personal data," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in 2025 after signing a set of bills that laid the foundation for DROP. "With these bills, social media users can be assured that when they delete their accounts, they do not leave their data behind.”

Electronic Frontier Foundation Director of State Affairs, Hayley Tsukayama, said in general terms her watchdog organization supports the idea. "Consumer privacy laws are great, but often not particularly easy for the average person to use. The DROP mechanism makes exercising our privacy rights more user-friendly, and every California resident should be aware of the tool, so they can make their own choices about how their personal information flows to data brokers.”

State officials say the tool marks a major shift in the tug-of-war between consumers and platforms, giving individuals more control in an industry dominated by intense lobbying against regulations. The powerful lobby has allowed companies to routinely buy and sell personal data with few restrictions.

For one, the program flips the burden onto the data industry, rather than individuals. More specifically, DROP targets data brokers that collect and sell user data. Platforms also regularly sell personal data to brokers.

What counts as personal information includes social security numbers, data about children, search history, and other personal details hoovered up by online platforms and data brokers.

When brokers stop selling their data, users should receive fewer unwanted texts, calls, or emails, according to the California Privacy Protection Agency. The program is also expected to decrease the risk of identity theft, fraud, AI impersonations, data leaks, and hacks.

DROP is a good concept, but one with room for improvement.

Submitting a DROP request "requires consenting to disclosure of personal information to data brokers for purposes of processing the deletion request" unless or until the demand is canceled or deleted, according to the platform instructions.

In addition, DROP only addresses part of the chain of custody," said Brian Hofer, executive director of Secure Justice, a surveillance and data watchdog organization. "It does not really deal with service providers that hold everything."

In the end people are responsible for the behavior of the market, which is increasingly based on access to data. Hofer said it is still important to think about the terms we consent to when using online services.

First-party data collected directly by companies can still be retained, while information from public records, like voter rolls, are exempt. Brokers will have 90 days to act, but individuals may still have to follow up to confirm that the data was deleted.

Data brokers are required to register with CalPrivacy annually under the state's Delete Act. Brokers must process deletion requests submitted through the DROP system. They also have to report the types of information they collect and share and submit to audits to make sure they’re following the Delete Act. Data brokers who fail to comply may face penalties and administrative fines.